LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - Brighton & Hove Albion's Georginio Rutter broke Tottenham Hotspur's hearts with a stoppage-time equaliser to earn his side a 2-2 draw that left the hosts stuck in the Premier League relegation zone on Saturday.
It had looked as though a beautiful strike by the energetic Xavi Simons in the 77th minute had secured Tottenham's first league win in 2026 and first at home for 134 days.
But in the fifth of eight nerve-jangling minutes of stoppage time, Tottenham buckled as substitute Rutter swept a shot high into the net past Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky.
Tottenham, now winless in 15 league matches, are 18th in the table, having played a game more than the two sides directly above them, and are in serious danger of a first relegation from the top flight since 1977.
New manager Roberto de Zerbi's first home game in charge was always going to have an extra edge, especially against his former club, but his new charges produced a much-improved display.
Pedro Porro lifted the tension when he headed Tottenham into the lead in the 39th minute. But Brighton, who would have gone sixth with a win, levelled in first-half stoppage time thanks to a sublime volley by substitute Kaoru Mitoma.
Tottenham have 31 points from 33 games, with West Ham United on 32 and Nottingham Forest 33.
DAZZLING DISPLAY
The result might not have been what De Zerbi craved against his former club, but the Italian could not have asked much more of his players.
Dutch playmaker Simons produced a dazzling display and looked close to tears at the end after Rutter denied him being a deserved match-winner.
"Today I saw signs, I saw blood, character, qualities, organisation with and without the ball," De Zerbi said. "Everything to reach our target.
"The crucial part is to keep this mentality and I told the players to come on Monday afternoon with the same behaviour they showed today."
Tottenham went ahead with Simons heavily involved as hedinked in a cross that caught Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen in two minds and Porro nipped in to head home.
Tottenham could not reach the interval in front, though, as Pascal Gross's deep cross in stoppage time was met by Mitoma who side-footed a sweet volley past Kinsky.
With Tottenham desperately needing three points the anxiety intensified as the game entered its final 20 minutes but there was an explosion of joy when Simons struck.
Substitute Lucas Bergvall stole the ball and when it reached Simons he arrowed a shot in off the far post, before racing to the corner where he was engulfed by his teammates.
Tottenham's defensive frailties returned to haunt them, though, and when they failed to clear their area, the ball was fed in by Jan Paul van Hecke and Rutter's shot bulged the net.
Brighton moved up to ninth with 47 points and in sight of European qualification while Tottenham face five games to save themselves.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
